


First Day of the Rest of His Life

by quiet__tiger



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Drama, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-07
Updated: 2017-05-07
Packaged: 2018-10-29 06:38:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10848513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quiet__tiger/pseuds/quiet__tiger
Summary: Alfred tries to offer comfort to Bruce after his parents' funeral.





	First Day of the Rest of His Life

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: "Lost."
> 
> Originally posted to Livejournal 6th-Jan-2011.

Alfred watched as young Master Bruce wandered about his room, window to wardrobe to bed. It had been a long, cold, dreadful day, full of grief and pain. He’d had half a mind to take the boy away from the funeral, but wasn’t sure how that would be seen by the guests. He didn’t want anyone to think he or Bruce was weak.

Bruce had to be strong, and had to be perceived as strong. He would run the family company at some point, and investors would remember this day.

But not as clearly as he and Bruce.

The boy had stood solemnly as his parents’ caskets were lowered, though Alfred could see the cracks in the armor. He was waiting for Bruce to need him.

Maybe part of him was merely hoping.

He was one of the few people Bruce had in the entirety of the world now, and he could not afford to shut him out. They needed each other for support; he would deeply miss the Waynes, too.

Alfred watched as Bruce paused at the window. He wondered what the boy was seeing. The bleak actuality of the winter landscape? Or a warm, happy summer evening when all the Waynes were able to spend time together?

“Master Bruce…” His master…charge…didn’t turn around. “Master Bruce.”

This time Bruce did acknowledge him, and on that small face Alfred could see so much. Despair and desolation yet overall the desire to not display anything of the sort. Bruce was young, but he knew what was expected of him. The expression of hopelessness yet determination was startling on him.

“I can’t say I know how you feel, Master Bruce, but I can tell you that you must let yourself feel. There is no shame. You’ve suffered a tremendous loss weathered much more poorly by adults.” Alfred sat on the bed and hoped Bruce would join him for comfort.

Bruce turned back to the window, and after a long silence he looked back, serious eyes assessing, always assessing. “It hurts.”

Nodding, Alfred agreed, “It should.”

“I’m all alone now. Except for you.” He took a hesitant step forward. “I don’t know what I should do.”

“You keep going on. I’ve lost people close to me before, Master Bruce, and the only thing to do is keep moving forward. Stay yourself, the bright boy I know you to be. The previous few days will most likely be the worst, with people coming up to you, expressing regret and grief, offering words and services and generally making you uncomfortable.”

Watching Bruce carefully, Alfred continued, “But know that I will always be here for you, protecting you as needed, keeping any disingenuous people away from you and ensuring those that get close truly have your welfare in mind.”

“You can’t always be around.” No doubt the boy thought Alfred would abandon him at the first opportunity, or understood that his promise could never be a true guarantee.

“I will be as available as humanly possible, and perhaps more so when the opportunity arises. You are my biggest priority, and not solely because your parents left you in my care.” He loved Bruce outside of his responsibilities to the Waynes, for who could look at the boy and not do so?

The look on Bruce’s face was skeptical, and Alfred couldn’t blame him. He no doubt viewed Alfred as an employee and nothing else, someone charged with his care without a choice. Waiting to leave him at the earliest convenience. “I am here for you, to help you through the darkness, so that you don’t lose your way. Things will look up.”

The skeptical look was back on Bruce’s face, then he turned back to the window. Alfred sighed to himself. Life’s journey for Bruce would be a long and difficult one, that much was evident from here. He’d feel abandoned and hurt for a long time, especially with his parents’ killer still on the loose. There was no closure yet for the boy, if there ever would be.

But Alfred would be there for him, no matter what.


End file.
